The next day, sunlight bathed all of Yanjian Village, as if it could sweep away the gloom and warm the entire village.
Jinshu and the other four had decided the day before to visit Yang Gui’s family, but they didn’t set out too early. The five of them went to the morning market and carefully selected some fruits and nutritional supplements. Estimating that the timing was about right, they finally knocked on Yang Gui’s door.
Yang Gui was greatly surprised. Although he had received promises and assurances from Jinshu and the others the day before, he didn’t truly believe they would come back to help him.
He had been born and raised in Yanjian Village, and in his decades of life, he had never truly left this mountain village. He lost both his parents at a young age and had survived until now entirely on his own. The only care he had ever received came from his childhood sweetheart, now his wife.
Although the people of Yanjian Village might seem amiable and kind, because the village was so poor, when something actually happened, they would shut their doors and stay inside, afraid someone might come asking for help. The only one with a bit of money, Yang Dafu, since becoming village chief, acted as if he were some important figure, throwing his weight around in this small place all day long—calling him a local tyrant wouldn’t be an exaggeration.
He had thought yesterday’s comfort was just Jinshu and the others coaxing him to get information. Today, seeing them arrive with large and small packages, he couldn’t help but stand frozen in the doorway.
“It’s the fairy sister and immortal brother from yesterday! You’re back again? And you brought so many immortals!” Yang Zhen peeked out from behind Yang Gui, laughing innocently.
Jinshu gently crouched down and patted her head, then opened one of the packages in her hand.
Yang Zhen looked over curiously and saw the package filled with pastries she had never seen before, in all sorts of shapes, incredibly beautiful.
“Wow!”
Jinshu handed the package to her and smiled. “Sister came with her friends today to play with you. Are you happy? Sister brought you lots of delicious treats!”
Yang Zhen’s big eyes seemed glued to the pastries in her hands. Hearing Jinshu’s words, she excitedly looked up and said, “Fairy sister, can I give this flower-shaped one to my mother? And I want to save this little rabbit one for my sister, but I don’t know if she can eat it.”
Suddenly a bit shy, she fidgeted and said, “Sorry, fairy sister, I didn’t even ask if you agreed. It’s just that my mother has never had such good pastries before, and I want her to try them too.”
Jinshu, who had been feeling quite pleased and a little embarrassed being called “fairy sister” over and over, was taken aback by Yang Zhen’s words and quickly said, “Zhenzhen, these pastries are all for you. You can give them to anyone you want.”
Having received confirmation, Yang Zhen happily hugged the pastries and skipped back into the house.
Seeing his daughter’s pitiful state, Yang Gui felt a pang of sadness, but he couldn’t show his emotions in front of outsiders.
He ushered everyone into the courtyard. “Esteemed Daoists, my home is small and rather humble, but at least it’s clean and tidy. If you don’t mind, please come inside and sit.”
Then, he called out loudly toward the house, “A Cui, some kind doctors from the village have come to see you and A Bao!”
Turning back, his expression troubled, he lowered his voice and said, “Please, esteemed Daoists, don’t mention those matters. A Cui is timid…”
Yan Lin reassured him, “Don’t worry. Just treat us as wandering physicians who travel far and wide, healing the sick and saving lives.”
Although the house was small, it could just barely seat five people.
Yang Gui’s wife, A Cui, sat on the bed holding the swaddled infant. Seeing them enter, she gratefully tried to rise to bow and express her thanks.
A Cui did not resemble an ordinary woman who had just given birth. Most new mothers would not appear as frail as she did. Not only was she thin and gaunt, but her complexion was also poor. Her cheeks were devoid of any flesh, with thin skin stretched tightly over her bones. Her eyelids clung closely to her large, protruding eyes, and dark, purplish circles hung beneath them. Her lips were slightly tinged with purple and trembled involuntarily.
Everyone was startled by her appearance. Yan Lin quickly stepped forward to help her back onto the bed.
A Cui said apologetically, “Our home is truly too small, and we have nothing proper to offer our guests. I’m so sorry. Please stay for lunch today.”
Knowing she felt embarrassed about accepting help without reciprocating, the group did not decline and agreed to stay.
Bu Quegan, who also practiced as a Medical Cultivator, found diagnosing illnesses no difficult task. He pressed his fingers to A Cui’s wrist, carefully observed her complexion, and after a moment of thought, said, “It’s not a serious illness. The pulse is sluggish, indicating poor circulation of qi and blood after childbirth. With careful recuperation, promoting blood circulation, and removing stasis to restore the flow of qi and blood, she will recover. Do you have paper and a brush? I’ll write a prescription for you.”
Yang Gui and his wife exchanged a glance, and only after hearing that it was nothing serious did they slowly let out a sigh of relief. Yang Zhen, already sensible beyond her years, went to fetch paper and a brush for Bu Quegan.
Yan Lin leaned in, affectionately looking at the child in A Cui’s arms, and asked, “Is it a boy or a girl?”
A tender expression spread across A Cui’s face. “A girl. Her name is Yang Bao.”
“May I hold her? Please don’t mind—I have many sisters at home and have always loved children.”
A Cui naturally did not refuse and carefully handed over the swaddled infant. Yan Lin skillfully took the child and cradled her among the group.
Jinshu craned her neck to get a better look. She had rarely seen such a young child before, and in her previous life, she had no younger siblings. For a moment, her curiosity was piqued.
The swaddling cloth had no intricate patterns but was thick and sturdy, made of fabric that looked comfortable and soft—far better than what Yang Gui and A Cui wore. Inside, the baby’s cheeks were fair and tender, lost in a sweet dream, completely unaware of the world outside. When cradled among the group, the infant opened her eyes. Jinshu had expected her to cry at the sight of so many strangers, but instead, she giggled happily.
Jinshu couldn’t help but laugh as well and reached out to gently poke the baby’s adorable cheek.
The group chatted with A Cui about everyday matters.
“Ah, ever since I gave birth to A Bao, A Gui often spaces out, sitting alone lost in thought. I have to call him several times before he snaps out of it,” A Cui said understandingly. “I know he must be thinking about how to make life better for our family.”
Bu Quegan nodded in agreement. “Uncle Yang is very devoted to his family.”
At the mention of this, A Cui’s words poured out like an unstoppable flood. “We were both orphans, our parents died early, and we grew up with no one to rely on. A Gui is a good man—he always protected me. Even when he was beaten until his head bled, he would turn around and comfort me.”
“As for me, I’m a useless woman. A Gui is a man. If it weren’t for him always shielding me and upsetting the villagers, our lives might be much better now.”
Yan Lin frowned slightly; she didn’t care much for such backward thinking, but it wasn’t her place to say much. She could only comfort her, saying, “Don’t overthink it. Doesn’t this just prove that Uncle Yang is a good man?”
Just as she spoke, Yang Gui entered the room carrying dishes. Hearing his wife praising him, he smiled modestly and waved his hand dismissively.
At that moment, Yang Zhen ran in from outside, threw herself beside A Cui’s bed, grabbed her hand, and whined, “Mom, there’s a little boy outside calling me to come play! Can I go?”
As soon as she finished speaking, the expressions of Yang Gui and A Cui instantly changed. Yang Gui scolded sternly, “Didn’t I tell you not to pay attention to those people? You’re not allowed to go out. Stay right here in this room and don’t take a single step outside.”
Jinshu looked at Yang Gui in surprise—it was the first time she had seen this good-natured man speak so harshly. Seeing Yang Zhen pout, her big eyes welling up with tears and on the verge of crying, Jinshu grabbed her arm, lifted her onto her lap, and said with a smile, “Be a good girl, Zhenzhen, and listen. Let’s not go outside. How about playing with the fairy sister and your little sister instead?”
Jinshu covered her face with her hands, then moved them away to make a funny face, repeating the motion several times—an old trick elders often used to amuse children.
Yang Zhen was already a bit older, and it clearly had little effect on her. It was Chen Fuzhou, who had been watching her, who let out a soft chuckle: “Senior Sister, that trick only works on little kids.”
Jinshu stuck out her tongue playfully. Yang Zhen wrapped her arms around Jinshu’s neck and pulled her down: “Fairy sister, I’ll tell you a secret.”
The two pressed their heads together, whispering something no one else could hear, then burst into laughter.
Everyone grew curious. Bu Quegan pressed them repeatedly, but the two carefree souls just kept laughing, refusing to say a word.
After a while, Jinshu wiped the tears from the corner of her eye and said, “Senior Brother, you’re wearing the wrong shoes.”
Bu Quegan was shocked. He looked down and saw that his two shoes were indeed mismatched.
Ordinary disciples wouldn’t bring so many changes of clothes when traveling, but Bu Quegan was as vain and fond of dressing up as the original owner of his body. Before leaving, he had spent time picking out which pair was suitable, and Yan Lin had been so impatient she kicked his door repeatedly. In his rush, he had put on the wrong shoes.
At the dinner table, Li Xingdao asked, “Uncle Yang, how much do you know about Yang Dafu?”
Yang Gui paused, puzzled, and thought for a moment before cautiously replying, “Yang Dafu? Most of us in Yanjian Village are related by blood. Yang Dafu belongs to the main lineage. His father and grandfather both served as village chiefs, so no one really objected when he took over.”
Jinshu put down her chopsticks: “Seeing how bad-tempered he is, didn’t anyone have any objections?”
“Their family has been village chiefs for generations. He’s the only one who knows how to contact the world outside the mountains. Usually, no one is allowed to go down the mountain. If anyone angers him, they can’t transport their goods to sell outside or buy anything from the outside world.”
Jinshu curled her lip disdainfully: “What a local tyrant.”
Chen Fuzhou, however, noticed that Yang Gui still seemed hesitant, though he ultimately said nothing more. Under the table, he tugged at Jinshu’s sleeve and gave her a meaningful look. The other three, not sitting with them, didn’t notice.
After the meal, the five of them left and returned to the small courtyard to discuss their next steps.
Chen Fuzhou crossed his arms and said, “This Yang Gui also has secrets. It seems everyone in Yanjian Village is hiding something.”
Bu Quegan frowned. “They won’t say anything, leaving us to investigate blindly! For now, we can only take it one step at a time.”
Li Xingdao calmly analyzed, “I believe we should still focus our efforts on the ancestral hall.”
Jinshu nodded in agreement.
“However, from the moment we arrived, the village chief hasn’t mentioned once that Yang Gui’s family also has a child. He probably doesn’t want to bother with them and hopes we’ll focus all our attention on his son,” Yan Lin, far more reliable than Bu Quegan in critical moments, remarked. “I think we should bring Yang Bao over tomorrow. With both children together, we won’t have to split our efforts running between two places. Yang Dafu needs our help, so even if we insist on this, he won’t dare say much.”
Yan Lin made the final decision. “Tomorrow night is absolutely critical. We need to set up the array in advance in the room where the two children will stay, and we must also notify Yang Dafu and Yang Gui. I think it’s best if we split up. Bu Quegan, you go find Yang Gui. You treated A Cui before, so she trusts you. Make up some excuse to reassure her about handing the child over to us. Jinshu, you’re only half-skilled and doze off in class all the time. As for Fuzhou, you’ve been in seclusion for years and probably don’t know much about arrays either. You two should go investigate the ancestral hall together. Xingdao, come with me to set up the array.”